The present invention relates to a method and a device for sleep posture correction.
In particular the present invention relates to a sleep posture alerting method, wherein the sleep posture of a person is detected and wherein the person is automatically alerted by an alerting device when the sleep posture is out of a predetermined body posture range.
The invention also relates to a sleep posture alerting apparatus, preferably to be worn on a body of a person, comprising                an electronic control unit,        a sensor operatively connected to the control unit for detecting the posture of the body, and        an alarming device operatively connected to the control unit,wherein, the sleep posture alerting device has a normal operational mode, in which—when the posture of the body detected by the sensor exits a predefined posture range—the control unit sends an alarm signal to the alarm device, and the alarming device generates an alarm based on the signal received from the control unit, to alert said person.        
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,767 a sleep posture alerting apparatus of this type is disclosed. The known device having a gravity actuated sensor, a delay time circuit and a vibrator, which are placed within a housing. When the gravity activated sensor senses it is within a predetermined range of deviation from the horizontal, the device activates a vibrator. The vibrator irritates the device user, causing him to change his sleep posture, without waking him up.
The known sleep posture alert device measures posture and provides direct feedback when a person turns into certain positions. Considering the fact that the goal of the device is to avoid users from sleeping in certain positions, this method described could be seen as effective. However, the comfort level of the known device and method is of such poorness, that only a small percentage of the users is actually able to use the technique to help remain in certain positions. The result is great ineffectiveness of the desired effect: avoiding certain postures during the night.
The present invention has for an object to provide a method and apparatus for sleep posture correction which has an increased effectiveness.